Dominae, Philosophy of (A to Z Challenge, D)

4 April, 2015

The draconic philosophy of Dominae is based on achievement through personal power and will alone. “A dragon flies alone needing nothing beyond themself, but accept that others will wish to serve you and that is your right.” It was founded and popularized by the Empress herself and it is the foundation of the Imperium. The Cardinal Beliefs of Dominae are:

Acquisition, a dragon is expected to acquire power, physical wealth and knowledge, roughly in that order. The strong take from the weak, that is the natural order of things, and no one is stronger then a dragon. Some view the acquisition of property and people as the most important aspect, while other dragons seek only to own what they can carry with them. In any case, no dragon will forgive those who steal from them.

Ambition, there is always more to achieve and more to obtain, it is not the place of a dragon to be content with what they have. There is a world out there, make it yours.

Consumption, the strength of the physical form must be maintained. Naturally, only the best food will do, preferably hunted by the dragon itself. Some dragons insist upon eating only intelligent prey or only prey that can fight back, others seek out the most exotic foods.

Leisure, among the perks of power, is the time to devote to relaxation. A dragon thus proves his power by not having to constantly prove his strength and power. Such times are often turned to strange pursuits such as collecting or various artistic endeavors for those who cannot bear to simply do nothing.

Possession, that which is yours is yours to do what you wish with. No other being has the right to tell you how to treat your goods. You may squander, change or destroy your possessions as you choose, their destiny is what you allow, nothing more.

Privilege, you embody the highest power in the world and the skies above, nothing else is your equal. You look down on others as they are provably inferior to you.

Retaliation, no one opposes you without risk or consequence, enemies are crushed, rivals are destroyed and barriers are swept away. Those that would challenge you will know your power and anger when you meet.

Though the Empress does not encourage such, there are cults that have sprung up that treat Dominae as their central dogma, some of these worship the Empress directly, others dragons more generally. Oddly, since the Imperium was founded, the Empress has stopped keeping slaves. However, no one questions her devotion to her philosophy.

A Cleric of the Dominae can choose from the Destruction, Magic, Strength and War domains.